The invisible victims: Unseen toll of wars on People with Disabilities

A Palestinian on a wheelchair passes by ruins of buildings destroyed in Israeli attacks in Rafah in in the southern Gaza Strip, October 9, 2023. (Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa via Reuters)

Imagine living in a world where children sleep to the lullabies of explosions; where the toys that toddlers see early on are guns and grenades; where people don't know if they will witness the next sunrise; where living is a luxury and people are just surviving, if at all, on a live time bomb.

Barely close but that is how life in the war-struck land of Gaza has been like. For close to two months Gaza, a 365 sq. km strip southwest of Israel, has been under war. More than 10,000 innocent adults have lost their lives whereas close to 5,000 children have perished. Public infrastructure has turned to dust. Palestinians are seen trying to search for the remains of their loved ones under the rubble, which has crushed generations of Gazans that were to come. Wailings of grieving family members fill the Gazan air interspersed with the sounds of explosions. Among those who have almost been erased from existence are people with disabilities — that comprise 2.4 per cent of the total population of Gaza.

Palestinians who fled their homes amid Israeli strikes shelter in a United Nations run school in Gaza city on October 8. (Photo: Reuters)

Despite several peacekeeping initiatives, battles have continued all across the world and citizens have been washed off the face of Earth. Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by all the member states of the United Nations in 2015, talks about reducing violence and the propellers of other forms of conflict. This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, we take a look at the incommensurate impact of the war in Gaza and armed conflict elsewhere on people with disabilities, who comprise the world’s largest minority.

The disproportionate impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on individuals with disabilities in Gaza has raised concerns by international aid organisations. The United Nations estimates that over 1.4 million people have been displaced from their homes and 15 per cent of them have a disability.

Ruthless restrictions by Palestinian authorities on not just the movement of people but also goods have limited access to essentials like water, medicines, healthcare and electricity to people with disabilities. Widespread and long hours of power outages — ranging from five to 15 hours a day — have ripped those dependent on electricity off their independence and confined them to the four walls of their homes. This includes the deaf and sign-language users who need light to see signs and gestures and people with limited mobility needs and users of motorised assistive aids. The shelters lack necessary medical beds and supplies, leading to the development of serious medical complexities like ulcers and other untreated illnesses in unsterile conditions.

A file photo from Gaza in 2020, where about 48,000 people, or about 2.4 per cent of the population, had a disability, according to official statistics. (Photo: Said Khatib via AFP)

As the conflict rages on, the plight of individuals with disabilities in Gaza serves as a stark reminder of the multifaceted impact of war, transcending beyond immediate physical harm to encompass the invisible yet severe wounds on the minds of those who are the most vulnerable. Studies all over the world at different points of time have documented the severe impact of traumatic events like war resulting in an unprecedented spike in mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and stress. One such report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) from December 2019 stated that as much as one-fourth of the population of Gaza experience some form of psychological condition.

History is witness that people with disabilities are the ones that get buried the deepest under the rubble of conflict-inflicted atrocities. Take, for instance, the Russia-Ukraine war. On February 24, 2022, Russia escalated its presence in Eastern Ukraine, shifting from occupation to a full-scale invasion. This conflict triggered the most significant humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, displacing over 11 million Ukrainians.

Before the war, Ukraine had a registered population of more than 2.7 million individuals with disabilities. Although specific data on the migration of people with disabilities is unavailable, the UN Refugees Agency estimates that, as of July 2022, 13 per cent of Ukrainian families fleeing the country included, at least, one member with a disability.

A file photo of a disabled Palestinian competing in a local race on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Gaza City, on December 3, 2020. (Photo: Reuters)

The impact of war and declining infrastructure is particularly severe for children with disabilities. These children, along with their families and caregivers, are more likely to face poverty and exclusion. Armed conflicts exacerbate these challenges by undermining the rights of children with disabilities and limiting their access to essential services. The conflicts often disrupt healthcare and rehabilitation services, as well as support centers. Confusion, inability to concentrate and pay attention, neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, withdrawal from social life/activities, anger, violence, flashbacks and nightmares become common experiences among children and adolescents.

Families, too, may now have to bear the financial burden of services that were previously free, compounded by the diminishing value of financial assistance due to inflation during conflicts. Rising costs, coupled with deteriorating security and transportation services, further impede access to necessary support. Even when governments aim for universal service access, the provision of these services is often disjointed. Additionally, the destruction of infrastructure creates physical barriers that hinder access to other systems, including education.

In times like these, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) adopted in 2006, safeguards and upholds the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. Article 11 of the Convention, for instance, obligates state parties to take all requisite measures to guarantee the safety and protection of people with disabilities, including instances of humanitarian crises, natural disasters and other forms of emergencies.

Freedom fighter Charu Chandra Bose. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

People with disabilities may be missing from our history books and even official records but they have played crucial roles as freedom fighters globally, including in India. Charu Chandra Bose (1890-1909), who had an upper limb impairment was among the significant players during India's quest for freedom. At present, people with disabilities can be discharged from the army if they are deemed unfit for military service. Major General Ian Cardozo, a former officer in the Indian Army was the first war-disabled veteran who took charge of a battalion and a brigade. After accidentally stepping on a landmine during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, Major Gen Cardozo critically injured his leg, which had to be amputated. According to some accounts, he  cut it off his with his own khukri. After going through a series of Battle Fitness Efficiency Tests or BPETs to prove his physical calibre, Major General Cardozo, who used a wooden leg, was permitted to command a battalion and became the first person with disability to do so.

A file photo of Major General Ian Anthony Joseph Cardozo.

It has been proved right that the grenade spares no one. While there is a need for supporting all those who are afflicted by perils of war everywhere, the need is all the more urgent for people with disabilities because conflicts exacerbate the intensity or amount of their disabilities. Relief efforts should include accessibility of sanitation facilities, adapting shelters in line with the needs of people with disabilities, and distribution of food and non-food items. As efforts may continue, organisations must also collect disaggregated disability data, as enshrined under Article 31 the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Fateh Mohit Whig, a lawyer with disabilities based in Chandigarh, has contributed to this article.